


A Birthday Reunion for the Inquisitor

by athenril_of_kirkwall (al_fletcher)



Series: Aether Effect [6]
Category: Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Dragon Age Drunk Writing Circle, Drunk Sera, F/M, Past Relationship(s), Post-Dragon Age: Inquisition, Prompt Fic, Reunions, Tumblr Prompt
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-29
Updated: 2018-12-29
Packaged: 2019-09-29 00:09:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,558
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17192795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/al_fletcher/pseuds/athenril_of_kirkwall
Summary: It's been a year since Corypheus was defeated and the companions of the Inquisition first went their separate ways. Thom Rainier survived his Joining and is happy as can be serving the Wardens, but a missive from Val Royeaux promises to reunite him with Cassandra.Has she forgiven him after all this time?





	A Birthday Reunion for the Inquisitor

_9:43 Dragon. The White Spire_

 

It wasn’t a birthday celebration, well not _officially_ anyway.

It simply was the Inquisition sending its representatives to commemorate the first anniversary of the election of Vivienne as Her Perfection, and there was to be a small reception at Val Royeaux following the formalities on Summerday.

Still, everyone, especially her three advisors, knew that Rivka Lavellan’s birthday, taking the Dalish calendar count into account, wasn’t far off, and after the stuffy dinner complete with judgemental glances at every single word and gesture, a side-room at the White Spire would house a positively more relaxed and spontaneous _private_ event.

The invitation to the Wardens – intended as a peace offering following their acrimonious last interactions with the Inquisition – had been diverted to Andoral’s Reach, their base of operations for their project opening Kal-Sharok up to future co-operation, especially with exploring their end of the Deep Roads. It just so happened that the perfect man for the job was there to receive it.

Well, he wasn’t, was he? The one Warden who had been an integral component of the Inquisition, and one of two who had avoided succumbing to Corypheus’ false Calling amidst Clarel’s misguided decisions, albeit by dint of his fraud at the time.

To be honest, it seemed more like Caron, Andras and Kader just wanted him out of the way while they settled things with the dwarves; for most of period after his Joining, he had been tolerated than accepted by the other Wardens. He’d done nothing for their reputation after his revelations, even if it’d already suffered a massive dent from the mess at Adamant Fortress, and now they’d been given the unenviable task of chaperoning Rainier.

It was no surprise that they’d planted him on a horse and sent him packing east pretty much once they’d received the missive from Val Royeaux. At least the road down Ghislain and Montfort was well-paved, and they’d given him plenty of coin and supplies for the journey.

He really wasn’t looking forward to this in the least. Even with the year that had passed since Corypheus’ defeat, the emotions among those who had trusted him were still far too raw, too recent, and seeing each other again would bring forth too many ill-feelings and memories of betrayal, on an occasion which was supposed to be a celebration.

Most of all he was hoping that Cassandra would be too busy rebuilding the Seekers to attend. The last they’d seen of each other was the celebrations at Skyhold, where everyone was indulging in food and drink, but he was simply seated in one corner, nursing a tankard. Cassandra had been busy keeping order and making sure things didn’t get out of hand, taking the occasional glass of wine and passing by him once or twice.

The last of those times, they had locked glances for what seemed like an eternity, as though they could communicate all they wished to say to each other through their eyes alone. What more was there to say? That he would be gone the next morning, taking his regret with him? That she would have to live with remembering that she had once loved him even as their destinies took them in separate directions? All these things they already knew.

In truth, the time for words had passed, and so too did that last moment all too quickly.

And of course, despite his most fervent prayers to Andraste and the Maker, here they were, both at another celebration a year later. Seems like They had forsaken him this time.

There she was, catching up with Rivka and Josephine, with Leliana by their side. Even from a thousand paces, anywhere, he’d recognise her outline. It felt like a thousand paces, anyway, what with the towering ceilings and narrow halls of this place. Most of the old crew had been away. Dorian in Tevinter, Varric in Kirkwall, the Iron Bull wherever coin took him, Cole wherever he went; Solas’ location, like the man himself, remained a complete enigma.

At least he had Sera for company, for what that was worth. She was clearly three sheets to the wind, as evidenced by how she vaguely stumbled into him, spilling some of her wine onto his Grey Warden tunic, the rest dribbling onto the perpendicularly tiled floor.

“Shoooo,” Sera drawled, “you’re grumpier than ever.”

“And you’re drunk.”

“At leasshhttt I’m happy, Thommo,” she said, righting herself. “Wha’sh got you down? Don’t tell me that they beat the humour out of you with a hurlock’sh spine as part of the Joining.”

Despite everything, he couldn’t help but chuckle at the mental image. “No, Sera, it isn’t that,” he said, staring into space as he sipped some sparkling Orlesian garbage.

“Ohhh, right,” she said, “first time since we popped Cory-Face’s clogs that you’ve been in the same room as the Lady Seeker.”

“Yes, but don’t –” he said, panicking at what she inevitably had planned,

“HEY! CASSHANDRA!” Sera bellowed, so loudly that half of the ballroom stopped dead in their tracks. “LOOK WHO’SH HERE!”

“ _Sera!_ ”

“You’ll thank me later,” she whispered sloppily, disappearing moments later.

He stood rooted to the floor as Cassandra slowly turned to him with grave purpose. Rivka drew Josephine towards her, whispering concernedly in her ear. Leliana was glowering at him, not needing to mime drawing her finger across her throat to get her point across. The instinctive gulp remained halfway down his throat, unable to go anywhere.

Several long strides later, she was in front of him, gazing at the environs of his collar as she found the words to say.

“Rainier,” she said neutrally, “you look well.”

“Lady Seeker, uh,” he flustered, “you too. The ride down from Andoral’s Reach was a smooth one, and Val Royeaux is certainly a welcome break from the Deep Roads…”

He trailed off, seeing as her attention was elsewhere, as she considered her next phrase.

“I am…glad that you have come out of the Joining none the worse for wear. I would have regretted it if you had not survived.”

Raising an eyebrow, he asked, “You were concerned?”

A touch of asperity coming into her voice, she retorted. “Naturally. It would have been a waste had you been deprived of the opportunity to do good for the Wardens.”

“I can only hope to be worthy of their name, Lady Seeker.”

“‘Cassandra’,” she said.

Blinking, he said, “I beg your pardon.”

“‘Cassandra’,” she said, repeating herself. “It suited you before, it suits me now.”

“Yes”, he said, “Cassandra.”

“ _Their name_ aside, you had already proven yourself worthy in my eyes when you submitted yourself to their judgement, Thom,” his first name rolling off her tongue casually. “Perhaps my own was coloured at the time.”

Considering the silence between them, he eventually queried, “Are you… _apologising_ to me, Cassandra?”

An exasperated noise escaping her throat, she said, “Do not think _too_ much of it. But…let us take this opportunity to start things afresh. Will you be here long?”

“Sadly not, Lady S… _Cassandra_. I expect my colleagues will want me back before long. How goes the rebuilding of the Seekers? I had wondered if you would have been too busy with them to attend this commemoration.”

“I found the time for Rivka. It…goes well. Many Templars have come to our cause seeking a new path. Cullen was able to advise them well on taking the long road away from lyrium dependency. There are no secrets left among the Seekers, and we have ceased their barbarous practices. It has not been easy, but their determination to reform has proved resilient.”

“That…that’s excellent to hear. I expect that you don’t need to hear this from me of all people, but nurturing that impulse to do better can mean a world of difference for them. And for you.”

“I value your advice, Thom,” she said, “I must attend to Leliana. From the way she has been surveying us like a hawk I think she expected one or both of us to resort to invective, or worse, by now. It is…good to see you again, Thom Rainier.”

Taking a slight breath in, he said, “And you, Cassandra Pentaghast. I wish you well.”

“May the Maker guide your step…Warden,” she said, turning to the table around which Rivka and Josephine were still huddled, with Leliana tearing the corner of a pastry off in her mouth with grim determination, her glare boring imaginary holes through Thom’s head.

Emerging as suddenly as she’d disappeared, Sera fell back into his chest, saying, “Shee? It all worked out in the end. You owe me, Rrrrrainier.”

Patting her head, he said, “Thank you, Sera. Well, if you ever run into a horde of darkspawn that needs cleaving, you know how to find me. In theory, at any rate.”

“Gggreeaaaatttt,” she drawled, finally succumbing to the eleven shots of Golden Scythe and unknown number of glasses of wine she’d imbibed through the night, and he gently deposited her in a nearby chair, where she started snoring loudly.

Draining the last of his glass, Thom stepped forth to give his congratulations to Rivka and Josephine as the Left and Right Hands of the Divine withdrew elsewhere. All things considered, perhaps the Maker and His Bride had done him a favour here after all.

**Author's Note:**

> Caron, Andras and Kader are the options for the Orlesian Warden-Commander in Awakening, and evidently rode out Here Lies The Abyss with no permanent damage.
> 
> Tumblr: https://athenril-of-kirkwall.tumblr.com/post/181504773675


End file.
